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Tuesday, November 27, 2012

League-leading Falcons, Texans struggle for respect

10-1. Both the Atlanta Falcons and Houston Texans share this
league-leading record but as players on both teams will tell you, nobody in the
media seems to be interested in these two teams’ success.

So why has respect been so hard for the Falcons and Texans
to come by? Well as a long time Falcons fan I can probably answer why they get
so little respect a little quicker.

Simply put, it’s hard not to look at the current Falcons and
not see the old Falcons.

When I watch the Falcons I don’t see a dominant ball club
that can easily take over games and crush their opponents. Instead I see the
same old club that barely pulls out wins by the seat of their pants, no matter
how good or bad the competition is.

Sure they have a top ten offense and a top ten scoring
defense but you couldn’t tell by watching the product on the field. Quarterback
Matt Ryan had a fierce start but has been pretty pedestrian numbers-wise over
the past few weeks.

During the first five weeks of the season, Ryan threw for 13
touchdowns and only three interceptions. Over the past six weeks though those
numbers have turned around with Ryan tossing only eight touchdowns compared to
10 interceptions.

Even more puzzling is the Falcons lack of a running game.

After new offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter was able to
help running back Maurice Jones-Drew amass a league leading 1,606 rushing yards
last season with practically no passing game to help open up lanes for him,
Falcons running back Michael Turner is on pace to have his worst season statistically
since coming to Atlanta.

With two talented backs like Turner and Jacquizz Rodgers in
the backfield and a talented trio of receivers like Roddy White, Tony Gonzalez
and Julio Jones in the lineup, it just feels like this team should be way more
potent than it is. But they are not.

And despite leading the NFC, Atlanta is still a team without
an identity. Out of their ten wins on the season, not one could be considered a
signature win. That’s because they really haven’t played against a truly worthy
opponent yet.

Sadly we may not get a chance to really see who this team is
until the playoffs because their remaining schedule is pretty weak. The only
team left on their schedule that may pose a true test for the Falcons will be
the New York Giants who they will face at home on December 16th.

The Texans lack of respect is a more puzzling issue though.
Houston has been a very potent offensive team over the years. They have been a
top-ten scoring offense the past four years and are currently the second
highest scoring team in the league right now.

The main reason that the Texans have missed the playoffs for
so many years has been because of their hideous defense but that has changed
since Wade Phillips took over as defensive coordinator. Last year they ranked
in the top five in both points and yards and they are in the top six in both
categories so far this year.

The Texans even have a few signature wins this season. They
pulled off a 30-point beatdown of the Ravens back in October and grinded out a win
in a tough defensive battle against the Chicago Bears earlier this month.

But the concern most people have concerning the Texans
revolves around their injury-prone quarterback Matt Schaub.

Schaub has missed at least five or more games in three of
the five previous seasons he has been in Houston. Although he hasn’t missed a
game this year, Houston fans fear getting their hopes up only to be again disappointed
by another season-ending Schaub injury.

That still doesn’t explain the lack of respect the Texans
have received from the national media though. Regardless of why Houston has
failed to receive the recognition it is due for having such a strong season,
everyone will have to pay them more attention if they are successful in
dispatching the New England Patriots on December 10th.

Both the Falcons and the Texans are locks for the playoffs though
and that is what most people are watching for. Can these teams win when the
games count the most or will both teams wilt under the pressure of the post
season as they have in the past?

Only time will tell but in the meanwhile, both teams will
have to continue to toil away in seemingly obscurity while the national media fawns
over teams like the Patriots, San Francisco 49ers, Denver Broncos, Giants and
Ravens.